LANSING, Mich. — Pothole patching crews have been all over the roads for the past couple of days.
Crews are out earlier this year because of the mild temperatures we had this week.
They are trying to get some of the monster craters taken care of before the weather shifts even more.
That major change between freezing cold to the warm temperatures this week is a recipe for disaster on the roads.
It is called a freeze-thaw cycle.
Once the snow and ice melt, that moisture seeps into the pavement.
Then, when it freezes again, vehicles drive over those gaps, causing more potholes to form.
Once it warms up, crews fix the potholes.
Aaron Jenkins with the Michigan Department of Transportation says the crews need to be flexible.
"We keep our eyes on the reporters or the meteorologists and we always have our crews ready 24-7 in case of snow or in case of a thaw. We need to get out there and fix the potholes," Jenkins said.
Jenkins says the potholes will be filled with a typical cold-patch material in hopes of keeping the potholes compacted long enough to get through the rest of winter without getting bigger.
If you see a pothole that could be dangerous or damaging, call the pothole hotline at 888-296-4546.
